Immigration

Federal law requires employers to verify that employees are eligible to work in the United States. It’s unlawful to knowingly hire anyone without authorization. But what happens if an employee’s ineligibility is only discovered in the course of investigating a workers’ compensation claim?

U.S. Citizenship and Customs Enforcement has issued a new Form I-9 that employers must begin using by Sept. 18, 2017. The release shines a spotlight on employers’ interaction with government agencies that enforce immigration laws.

If you haven’t thought much about that stalwart of HR paperwork—the Employment Eligibility Verification, or I-9 form—this is the summer to scrutinize your compliance. That’s because the Trump administration has just released a new version of the I-9 that you’ll need to begin using by Sept. 18.

Whether or not the executive travel ban ever takes effect, foreign workers—particularly those from the banned countries, but also those from other Muslim countries—are feeling the impact. So are employers.

President Trump has long believed that foreign H-1B visa holders take good jobs from American workers. The visas are intended to help employers fill technical jobs for which not enough American workers can be found.